Process and apparatus for neutralizing static electricity.



r Y W. H. CHAPMAN. PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR NEUTRALIZING STATICELEGTRIGITY.

' APPLICATION FILED APR. 2 1906.

940,430. 1 Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

WILLIAM H. CHAPMAN, F PORTLAND, MAINE, ASSIGNOR TO CHAPMAN ELECTRICNEUTRALIZEB COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION OE MAINE.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR NEUTRALIZING STATIC ELECTRICITY.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 2, 1906. Serial No. 309,352.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. CHAP- MAN, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and a resident of Portland,'Maine,i have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Processes and Apparatus for NeutralizingStatic Electricity, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a process and apparatus for neutralizing staticelectricity in moving material and it is particularly di-' rected tocertain improvements in the process shown in my Patent No. 777 ,598dated Dec. 13, 1904C and the'apparatus used for carrying out thatprocess.

In this process I have made use of an alternating electric charge ofhigh voltage applied to a wire or other conductor containing smallpoints and supported in close proximity to the moving paper or otherlike material. p n

The process herein set forth is a modification of the process set forthin my application No. 292,388 filed Dec. 18, 1905. y

In using my process for the treatment of textile yarns and other formsof textile materi I have found that in many cases it was not practicableto locate the wire or other cond tor near enough to the work so that thei the condu'c. or would reach the material to be treated;

Thefnbject of my present invention is to so that the ions dischargedfrom the conductor the process and the apparatus will travelv aconsiderable distance, taking effect as far away as 18 inches in somecases and enabling me to locate my conductor at a convenient pointabouttextile machinery of various kinds which is as a rule so crowdedwith parts that there is little room for such devices as this. Iaccomplish this object by using a direct charge of high voltage on theconductor, modifying the effect to prevent overcharging of'the materialby partially surrounding the conductor with a conducting envelop orslotted tube con-' nected to earth. A free or open space is left in theenvelop of varying width according to the distance the ions have totravel and I have found from'experience that with a conductor in aslotted tube and charged with a high tension direct charge, there is acertain fixed width of slot which may be used for different distancesthrough which sufficient ent ed by the discharge from electricity willpass to neutralize the electricity of the goods without overchargingthem as would be the case if the conductor wasopen or unclosed.

Another object of my invention is to find a conductor with suflicientlyfine points or surfaces which can be cheaply made and strong andsubstantial for practical use in mills &c. as I have found that a singlewire when the radiation took place from 1ts sidesoxidized rapidly underthe'action' of the ozone produced. This object of my invention I carryout by the use of a substantial metal rod preferably steel or ironhaving a tubular covering with fine points or projections formedpreferably of a thin strip of copper with angular cuts inits edge andwound spirally into the form of a tube with angular and poiptedprojections.

I illustrate the several features of my invention by means of theaccompanying draw mg in which:

Figure 1 1s a central longitudinal section showing my conductor as Iprefer to make.

it, Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section through the same, taken on theline a: w of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail of the copper strip before winding and Fig. 4 is adiagram illustrating the application of my process to moving yarn.

Considering Fig. 4-, J represents a -Wimshurst machine or other sourceof high tension direct current electricity connected by a wire lc'to aninsulated conductor 11. passing through a tube m of brass or otherconduct- Patented. Nov.16,1909L ing material connected to earth with alon itudinal slot 0 int-he under side of the tu e. Strands of yarn p arerepresented as passing along under the tube mand the ions dischargedfrom the conductor by the high ten: sion charge are represented aspassing from the conductor through the slot 0 onto the yarn as it passesby. It isunderstood that the electricity supplied to the wire a is ofopposite polarity to that generated in the yarn in its process ofmanufacture, the electricity being generally generated in the yarn andother textile material 7 by P3881110 through rolls where it becomescompressed? The ions discharged by the conductor neutralize theelectricity of the yarn and the yarn is prevented from getting anovercharge by the presence of the metal partially surrounding theconductor. The slot 0 is of a certain wldth according to the distance ofslot will have to be and the more ions it will be necessary to releaseto dtuthe same work.

the yarn from the conductor, so that it allows just the right uantity topass to neutra'lize' the yarn wit iout giving it an overcharge. Thereason the width of the slot limits the charge which goes to thematerial is as follows: The ions are given off in all directions fromthe conductor and striking directly on the inner surface of theconductor the charge which they contain is conducted to earth. Thosewhich are given 01f in the direction of the slot will be diverted andconducted away by the tube when there is no charge of oppositeelectricity in the ma terial to attract them. l/Vhen however there is acharge in the material of opposite polarity to the ions given olt' bythe conductor, the latter are drawn or attracted through the slot by aforce stronger than that by which they are attracted to the tube. Thuswhile 7 the charge is in the material the ions will be latter becomesneutral the attraction of the tube takes effect and diverts the ions tothe tube and the charge is delivered on to earth. It is evident thatthefarther away the material is from the conductor the larger the If theslot is too wide there will be an escape of ions through the slot whenthe material is in a neutral condition and consequently it will receivean overcharge of the same kind of electricity as that given oil by theconductor. For this reason as already stated, there is generally acertain standard Width of slot which is efiective at a given distance. I

find from experience that the width of the slot does not have to beregulated with absolute accuracy as a slight over or under charge is notinjurious tothe yarn or other textile material. The practical form ofconductor which I use for this class of work is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and3.

For supporting the insulated conductor I make use of a tube preferably,of brass, laterally perforated with holes or when the direct current andlong distance process is used with a longitudinal slot regulated inwidth according to the distance the ions have to travel. As here shown,1 use a brass tube having a slot .9 in its underside and having it forthe purpose of protecting the operatorfrom getting a shock or spark anda check nut 0 is located on the rod just insideof the bushing. At theopposite end of the tube the rod projects through the bushing t) in likemanner, with a check nut c on the inside conductor. The discharging orradiating points are provided by means of a tubular coveringor envelopwhich is slipped over the rod 18 and which is provided withnumerousprojecting points or fine surfaces. As here shown, I form this tubularcovering by means of a strip of thin copper l) in the edge of which iscut a series of angular cuts. The stripis wound spirally about a form toform a tube and is slipped on in sections over the rod B, the pointedportions 6 projecting outward from the body of the strip to formradiating points which will be unatiected bythe action of the ozone. inthe centerof the tube is shown an insulatin guide 2' for supporting therod. This form of conductor can be made up in lengths to suit the job,the tube D can be put on in short sections if desired and the slot cutaccording to the distance of the work from the conductor. When thealternating charge is to be used as in the treatment of paper when theconductor can be placed near the work, the tube will be perforatedinstead of slotted.

l: claim 1. The herein described apparatus for rcmoving staticelectricity whichconsists of a tube of conducting material connected toearth and having a longitudinal slot therein, a longitudinally disposedinsulated conductor within said tube and means for supplying a highvoltage charge to said conductor.

2. The herein described conductor for neutralizing static electricitywhich consists of a tube having one or more openings through the sidesthereof, an insulating bushing at each end, a metal rod extendingthrough said tube and said bushings and a tubular covering for -said rodhaving projecting points for discharging high voltage electricity.

3. The herein described conductor for use in neutralizing staticelectricity which con sists of a laterally perforated tube having lot)extending longitudinally through it an insulated conductor composed of ametal rod 5. The herein described conductor for use in neutralizingstatic electricity which consists of a laterally perforated tube havingav longitudinally disposed insulated metal rod therein, said rod havinga tubular covering composed of a spirally wound strip of thin metalhaving angular slits in its edge forming pointed sections which are bentoutward to form discharging points and edges.

6. The herein described conductor to be used for removin staticelectricity which consists of a per orated tube connected to earth, aninsulated bushing in each end, a screw threaded metal rod extendingcentrally through said tubeand said bushings,

a nut on said rod on the inside and the outside of each bushing, one ofsaid external threaded stud screwed into the other external nut andabutting against the end of said rod, and a tubular covering for saidrod havin fine projecting points or surfacesf 7. The herein describedconductor for disity consisting of a metal rod having a tubular coveringcomposed of a spirally wound strip of thln metal having angular slits inits edge forming pointed sections which are bgnt outward to formdischarging points or e es. f gigned at Portland, Maine this 24th day ofMarch 1906. 4

WILLIAM H. CHAPMAN.

l/Vitnesses:

nuts being of insulating material, a screw S. W. BATES, MARY A.DoNALnsoN.

charging or radiating high voltage electric-

